ABSTRACT
Athletes are often required to train and compete several times during a relatively short period, without allowing adequate time for a natural recovery (Cochrane, 2004).This is apparent in a variety of events, and is perhaps most evident in sports such as rugby union and association football (soccer), where individuals compete and train daily. On occasion, and depending on the period of season, players may compete on more that one occasion during a week, and can sometimes play three to four games in less than two weeks. Interventions to assist the recovery process are therefore crucially important, and frequently applied in sporting situations.
